So Jealous
by Audley
Summary: A short, musical, somewhat spoilerish, YukixMachi, romantic, funny, angsty, finished and overall rather confusing three chaptered fic. Enjoy.
1. Head Over Feet

Chapter 1: Head Over Feet

_I had no choice but to hear you/You treat me like I'm a princess/I'm not used to liking that/You ask how my day was/You've already won me over in spite of me/Don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet/Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are/I couldn't help it/It's all your fault/You're so much braver than I gave you credit for/You are the bearer of unconditional things/You held your breath and the door for me/Thanks for your patience/You're the best listener that I've ever met/You're my best friend/What took me so long/I've never wanted something rational/It's all your fault_ Head Over Feet, by Alanis Morisette

All his life, he'd never known anyone like Machi.

All his life, people had had him figured out long before he did.

All his life, people had been helping him to understand things, to stand on his own two feet.

Now it was his turn.

It was his chance to help someone else—someone who was struggling just like he was. It was his turn to be the bearer of ultimate wisdom, to impart deep and meaningful advice and life-lessons through simple kind acts and words and be viewed as a hero, an idol; it was his turn to be loved for it.

Just as Honda-san had done for him, he would do for Machi.

But Yuki was a little—well, a lot—more selfish than Honda-san, so he was doing it for all the wrong reasons. He was doing it because he loved seeing Machi blush red when he touched her or smiled at her or performed some other heroic act that simultaneously saved Machi and made her adore him even more. And he loved getting reactions from her—whether she cried or yelled or beat him, at least it was emotion.

He really loved getting her to smile.

But again, it was all for purely selfish reasons, like experiencing the warm, tight feeling in his chest that he did when she spoke to him, or like when his heart did giddy flip-flops whenever she touched him, accidentally or otherwise, or like how sometimes, when she wore a shorter skirt than usual to school, it made him think of doing very naughty things with her on the desks, the floor, the sinks in boys' bathroom, up against the wall...sometimes the daydreams were so vivid that he had to run his head under cold water for a few minutes until his blood stopped flowing south.

Those were all new things for Yuki to experience, and he enjoyed every minute of it. He was only looking out for Machi and talking with Machi and helping Machi clean stuff (her room, the school, whatever messes she made), and making footprints in the snow with Machi and breaking chalk with Machi and bringing leaves back from Kyoto for Machi because he liked the way her reactions and feelings and blushes and smiles made him feel, which was giddy and warm and sometimes rather turned on. He didn't think about _why_ he felt those things—he just knew he liked it because it was new and fresh and wondrous.

So he really wasn't like Honda-san at all. Her reasons were pure and selfless: she did what she did because she loved Yuki and wanted him to live and grow and love in turn and be able to do it without suffering, which is why she was able to break the curse. It wasn't only Yuki though—she loved all the Juunishi. But especially Yuki.

And especially Kyo.

They were officially a 'couple' now, Kyo and Tohru; went everywhere together, acted like sappy love struck fools, were all over each other when they thought no one was around etc etc. Yuki was getting rather tired of it, truth be told, but Kyo and Tohru were just getting started.

Point is, Honda-san broke the curse through her love for everyone. And she helps people because she loves them, not because she wants them to love her. She's very kind.

Yuki isn't kind. It's like giving candy to a person in order to buy their friendship. Yuki is acting through pure selfishness, which isn't Honda-san at all.

He isn't doing it because he loves Machi or anything. Nothing like that.

Definitely not. Yuki was absolutely sure.

_Coming out of my cage I been doing just fine/gotta gotta be down because I want it all/It started out with a kiss/how did it end up like this/It was only a kiss/Now they're going to bed and/my stomach is sick/and it's all in my head but/she's touching his chest now/he takes off her dress now/let me go/I just can't look it's killing me/and taking control/Jealousy turning saints into the sea/turning her sick lullabies/choking on your alibis/but its just the price I pay/destiny is calling me/open up my eager eyes/I'm Mr. Brightside_...

Mr. Brightside, by the Killers

Somehow though, when he turned the corner to go into the courtyard at school and saw Machi being pressed up against the wall by Haru, with her legs locked around his waist and their mouths desperately seeking each other as their hands groped eagerly for exposed skin, he felt like he had been punched in the gut and was going to be sick.

Unfortunately, that feeling was all too familiar.

What was new, however, was the desire to beat something—namely, Haru—until it was blue, bloody, and raw. Well, that wasn't entirely new. He'd wanted to beat Kyo senseless when they were twelve because Kyo had ruined his favorite sweater by throwing mud on it. He'd felt rage beyond comprehension then.

But never before had that anger been directed at _Haru_. He liked Haru. Haru was his favorite relative by far. Haru was his friend. Haru cared about him. Haru helped him learn to stand on his own feet.

Yuki tried to remember that as his feet walked him over to where Haru—the traitorous bastard—was sliding a hand up his Machi's skirt.

His. Yuki's. Not Haru's.

He realized, in the instant before his fist connected with the side of Haru's face, that Haru probably had a very sensible, thoughtful, and reasonable explanation as to why he had contributed to the overall destruction of Yuki's heart by engaging in a very passionate make-out session with Machi, but then again Yuki was far too angry to listen to it and it wouldn't matter anyway because he didn't love Machi anyway.

His punch sent Haru sprawling, but it appeared that it didn't hurt as much as surprise him, because he was back on his feet again a second later, howling mad and fully Black.

Good. Yuki was in the mood for a fight, and Black Haru was the perfect opponent.

Actually beating on Kyo had always more satisfying, but Kyo was off making out with Tohru somewhere (which, although disgusting and rather annoying and not something Yuki cared to see or hear or even think about for long periods of time, did not make him feel like ripping Kyo's skin off and then sewing him back into it, as he now felt towards Haru), and thus both unavailable and not the current object of Yuki's wrath.

Haru charged, snorting like a wounded bull. Yuki wouldn't have been surprised to see his eyes flash red and steam pour out his ears.

None of it mattered. Yuki snapped a leg out, catching Haru in the chest. It stopped him, long enough for Yuki to sink his fist into Haru's stomach.

Haru choked and wheezed for a few minutes, doubled over. Machi took the opportunity to run for help.

Haru stood up straight and faced Yuki. "What's the matter, _Yun-Yun?_" he taunted. "Wanted her all for yourse—"

He didn't get to finish, as another of Yuki's fists smashed into his jaw. He reeled backwards, seeing stars, but remembered his training enough to duck as Yuki swung another wild punch at his head. Haru's leg shot out and caught Yuki right above his knee, hard.

Yuki's leg buckled but he staggered back until he recovered. Haru wiped some blood off his lip and spoke again.

"Yeah, she's hot, that Kuragi. Did you know that when you touch her right there"—he mimed some sort of rude gesture in the air—"she moans just right?"

Yuki was aware that he made some sort of strange growling noise deep in his throat. Haru ignored him and went on.

"Yeah, she's hot. If you hadn't interrupted us, who knows how far we would have gone."

An image of Machi having her clothes torn off by some sort of demon-possessed Haru came into his head unwillingly and Yuki saw red. He lunged for Haru before it was really gone, and didn't see the people who had gathered in the courtyard.

The next thing he saw was sky, then ground, as someone—Kakeru, he realized a second later—tackled him from the side, sending them both crashing to the ground.

**Author's Notes**: I'm only posting this for the hell of it. This is my first attempt at an actual ongoing chapter fic—a continuing story that is NOT AN ONESHOT nor a collection of drabbles etc. There are two or three more chapters coming up. I chose a song lyric type style thing, with the lyrics at the beginning and the end and the title of the story and the chapter titles being song titles yadda yadda you get it...anyway, I'm trying it out so bear with me. I'm also not entirely pleased with the title of the overall story.

The Kyo/Tohru stuff in there was purely for my own enjoyment...ah, blissful teenage hormones...hey, a fangirl can dream, can't she! And with the curse...I just wanted to let you know it was broken. My story makes more sense that way. (Besides, it is my secret hope that Fruits Basket will turn out that way...heh heh.) Also—don't complain about Yuki being perverted. He's a guy. Guys are perverted whether they once turned into a rat or not. Alrighty then, just clicky the button and review away!


	2. Dance, Dance

Chapter 2: Dance, Dance

_She says she's no good with words but I'm worse/Barely stuttered out "A joke of a romantic,"/or just stuck to my tongue/Weighed down with words too over-dramatic/Tonight it's 'it can't get much worse' vs. 'No one should ever feel like_..._'_ Dance, Dance, by Fall Out Boy

As it turns out, when Machi ran for help, it came at a run in the form of Kakeru, Tohru, and Kyo. She had found Kakeru napping in a utility closet on the second floor, and she wouldn't say where she found Kyo and Tohru, but judging from Kyo's mussed hair and Tohru's swollen lips, not to mention the fact that Tohru's tie was no longer tied and Kyo's shirt was on inside-out, it wasn't hard to guess.

Kakeru had arrived and in a moment's instant assessed the situation and decided the best way to handle the problem was to throw himself on Yuki and hold him down while yelling things like, "Bad Yun-Yun! Don't pound on people's faces! It's not nice!" and, when Yuki told him to get the hell off, "Why do you threaten me, Yun-Yun? I'm only trying to help you and Machi-chan work through these problems in your dirty, sweaty, love-hate relationship!" and then, because that seemed to upset Yuki so much that he began bucking and wrenching to get out of Kakeru's surprisingly firm grip, "Stop wriggling! We're pressed together in places that straight and narrow men such as ourselves should not be pressed in, but you are just so pretty that I might just say 'the hell with it!' and give in to temptation!" and after that Yuki held very still until Kakeru let him go.

Now they were standing around in an awkward silence, as Tohru applied band-aids to Haru's face as Kyo stood there and looked on to make sure Haru didn't try anything and Yuki fumed but kept a wary eye on Kakeru, who was preening because he had been the Mysterious Man-In-Black who saved the day, which irritated Machi to the point where she told him sharply to cut the crap, which made Yuki snarl "Like you're one to talk," right back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kakeru cried out, suddenly alert.

"Yeah Yuki," Haru sneered loudly, gently brushing off Tohru's anxious attempts to bandage him aside. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you never should have kissed her!" Yuki burst out, his cheeks flushed.

Everything was suddenly very surreal to him; he couldn't believe this was happening; why was this happening? He felt as though the floor had dropped out from under him and he couldn't catch it again, couldn't get his feet on it again to stand up straight and take charge of this situation; where was Cool, Calm, and Collected Yuki? He couldn't make heads or tails of which was up or down, or what was wrong or right, and it was making him sick to his stomach. There was something stirring from the depths, something he wouldn't look at; something he refused to admit was there. Everyone was staring at him, completely floored. Except Haru. Haru looked...pained? His eyes unwillingly slid over to Machi. Her face was blank but Yuki could see something struggling to come forth in her eyes; he could see that what was happening was finally catching up to her too but he felt no vindication that she was probably just as freaked out as he was.

Haru was talking again. "Why not, Yuki?" he was saying, and it sounded like it was coming from a long way off. "Why shouldn't I kiss her?"

"Because—" Yuki was vaguely aware that he had no idea was he was about to say and was almost thankful when Machi spoke for the first time, cutting him off.

"Your cousin didn't kiss me," she told him flatly. "I kissed him."

Yuki came back to his body so fast that it hurt. He stared at her, completely shocked. She met his gaze boldly, her eyes swimming with an emotion he couldn't name; what did she want from him?

Yuki looked at Haru instead. Haru was staring at him impatiently. _Come on Yuki,_ he seemed to be saying. _Don't you get it?_ No, Yuki didn't get it. There was something bubbling in his chest now, some unnamed emotion threatening to spill over and Yuki had a feeling it had to do with the urgent look on Haru's face and the look in Machi's eyes and the way she had kissed Haru so desperately.

"So," he said, instead of confronting the elephant in the room.

"So," Haru replied.

"She kissed you."

"She kissed me."

Yuki realized he had nothing more to add to the conversation and instead swung around to stare at Machi accusingly.

"So," he said.

Machi glared at him.

"Why did you kiss him?" Yuki asked bluntly. Machi looked confused. She stared down at her hands, which were trembling.

"I don't know," she whispered. Then, louder, "I don't know. He was just...there and he looked...I thought he looked...nice. So I kissed...him." Her words were halting and bewildered, as if she wasn't really sure what she was saying.

"Nice," Yuki repeated incredulously. "You thought he looked nice so you kissed him."

Machi nodded dumbly, her cheeks crimson with humiliation. She looked perplexed.

"Hey," Haru interrupted. "I can't help it if I'm attractive to women."

"And you just had to respond so enthusiastically because...?"

Haru shrugged nonchalantly. "She's a cute girl. I can't help but react positively when a cute girl throws herself on me. Like I said, I'm just attractive to—"

"What about Rin?" Yuki interrupted. Haru flinched. "Is she no longer...attracted to you? Is that why you feel the need to jump at any chance you can get for some action?" Yuki went on mercilessly. "Did it have to be Machi specifically? Or could it have been any cute girl?"

Haru shrugged again, his features blank. "I don't know. Why does it bother you so much that it was Machi?"

"He has a point, you know," Kakeru said thoughtfully. Yuki looked at him, startled. So far he, Kyo, and Tohru had been absolutely silent. "If it had been anyone else, would it have been as big a deal?"

"I—" Yuki started to say.

Kakeru ignored him. "Like, what if it had been Honda?" He jerked a thumb at Tohru, who blushed a furious shade of red. Kyo suddenly began paying much more attention to the conversation. Yuki blinked in surprise.

"What if you had caught him making out with her?" Kakeru continued. "Would you be as mad then?" Kyo glared ferociously at Kakeru for suggesting it, then at Haru, daring him to just try it.

Yuki opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He had no idea what to say. What was Kakeru talking about anyway? What were any of them talking out? What was happening?

Haru's voice brought Yuki back to his senses

"Tohru and Kyo..." Haru paused. "They love each other. Kyo would kill to defend her." Both Tohru and Kyo blushed but Kyo didn't relax his guard. "So I wouldn't kiss her," he finished with a shrug, looking bored. Kyo relaxed somewhat, but Tohru turned an even darker shade of red and hid behind him.

"Why not?" Yuki heard himself ask in a despairing sort of voice. "Why me?"

The silence in the courtyard was deafening. Then Tohru peered at Yuki from around Kyo's shoulder. "Yuki-kun?" she asked, wide-eyed in wonder. "Are you jealous?"

_You can trust me not to think/And not to sleep around/And if you don't expect too much from me/You might not be let down/'Cause all I really want is to be with you/Feeling like I matter too/If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago/I might be here with you/You're the best I've ever had/Hey jealousy/Hey jealousy_ Hey Jealousy, by Gin Blossoms

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Author's Notes**: Well, I hope you like it so far. I did my best to pick the music appropriately...Oh, yeah, and most of the verses aren't in order—I just sort of picked out my favorite parts of each song and wrote them, so don't take my lyrics as the actual lyrics, you know?

Thanks so much for the reviews, by the way! Hope you review again!


	3. Let Go

Chapter 3—Let Go

_so let go/jump in/well whatcha waiting for/it's alright/cause there's beauty in the breakdown/just get in/its so amazing yeah/it's alright/cause there's beauty in the breakdown _Let Go, by Fru-Fru

_And there are voices/that want to be heard/So much to mention/but you can't find the words/Listen to your heart/There's nothing else you can do_ Listen to Your Heart, by D.H.T or Roxette

The nameless emotion in Yuki swelled until he felt like he was going to pop. There was a thundering rush in his ears and it took him a second to realize it was his heart racing in excitement. _Jealous_. The word shocked him. Was he?

He looked at Tohru, comprehension dawning, and she met his gaze steadily, a gentle smile on her face. Yuki felt his cheeks warm up.

A noise from Machi distracted them all. She had been quiet for a while so they seemed to have forgotten her. She made the noise again and it sounded like she was choking on her own words.

"Why...why would he be jealous?" she cried, her voice cracking. Her eyes were huge and terrified and confused. Yuki knew that look. It was the look of a cornered deer; when Machi knew she was in over her head and no longer had any idea what she was doing, where her emotions, held too long in check, exploded into action and her body did something she wasn't aware of it doing until after—like throwing things, like going berserk. She couldn't help it. It was what she did when she panicked. And the look on her face...it made Yuki's heart wrench, so he had worked and worked to make sure she never had to look that way again.

"Why are you jealous?" Machi yelled wildly, staring at him with those eyes that made his heart ache. She took a step closer to him. "Why do you care? What does it matter to you? Who I kiss? Why do you care!" she shrieked, staring at him with those huge scared eyes.

_What was she asking him?_ Yuki wondered, bewildered. There were questions in her eyes, questions that were begging to be answered, questions that Machi was too scared to ask. _What were the questions?_

"What are you asking me?" Yuki half-shouted, just as scared as she was. He wanted to answer the questions, make the look go away, make her smile. _What were the questions?_ He didn't know. "I don't know what you're asking me!" He was wild and confused and scared and trying to keep a lid on that suffocating sensation that was fighting it's way up, fighting to be let loose.

"Why are you jealous!" she bellowed at him, tears springing to her eyes.

"Because you should be kissing me, not Haru!" Yuki burst out, flustered and half-crazy with the questions he couldn't answer and the emotion he couldn't name and the look in Machi's eyes that he couldn't get rid of.

He looked away from her, his face burning. He was angry and miserable and scared and now he knew what that mystery feeling was.

He looked back up at Machi and the look was gone. Yuki felt something within him breathe a sigh of relief.

Then Machi looked down, blushing. Things were awkward.

When she spoke, her voice was low and husky.

"And what if...what if I don't want to kiss you?"

Yuki saw her peeking up at him through her bangs and blushed himself. Everything came together for him then, and he knew what the answers to all the questions were and how to get rid of the look forever. The feeling burst free from his chest and suddenly he was light, lighter than he had been in ages and he understood so much.

"Then...I guess I'll have to kiss you," he said almost shyly.

Machi cleared her throat nervously. "I think I'd...I'd like that." And she smiled at him.

Yuki smiled back.

They were moving closer and closer...slowly, slowly...Yuki tentatively put a hand up to stroke Machi's hair, and her eyelids fluttered shut. Slowly, slowly...they were so close now...

"Too slow, too SLOW!" Kakeru cried loudly. Machi's eyes flew open and she jerked back. Yuki groaned. The mood was ruined. He rested his head on Machi's shoulder and sighed heavily. She laughed and kissed his ear. "Soon enough," she said softly.

Kakeru continued, obviously distressed. "You two are so SLOW! Eons passed while we waited for you to kiss! You should have done this by now!" he scolded. Then he looked at them seriously. "What took you so long?" he asked.

Yuki and Machi looked at each other and burst into laughter.

_Fin_

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Author's Notes:** Well, this is pretty much the end. I would like to continue with it, or try something like it again—I mean with the song lyrics and all. If a wild inspiration harkens for me to sit at it's table, I will oblige...until then, adieu! 

Ha, had you going there, didn't I? Well, this is the original ending...but there's an alternate ending. It starts the same and veers off into a different direction. You'll see when you see.

Ta and merci!

Audley NOT FRENCH, I SWEAR!

PS: No offense to anyone who is ACTUALLY French.

PPS: Don't forget to review, pretty please!


	4. Alternate Ending

Alternate Ending

Let Go

_so let go/jump in/well whatcha waiting for/it's alright/cause there's beauty in the breakdown/just get in/its so amazing yeah/it's alright/cause there's beauty in the breakdown _Let Go, by Fru-Fru

_And there are voices/that want to be heard/So much to mention/but you can't find the words/Listen to your heart/There's nothing else you can do_ Listen to Your Heart, by D.H.T or Roxette

The nameless emotion in Yuki swelled until he felt like he was going to pop. There was a thundering rush in his ears and it took him a second to realize it was his heart racing in excitement. _Jealous_. The word shocked him. Was he?

He looked at Tohru, comprehension dawning, and she met his gaze steadily, a gentle smile on her face. Yuki felt his cheeks warm up.

A noise from Machi distracted them all. She had been quiet for a while so they seemed to have forgotten her. She made the noise again and it sounded like she was choking on her own words.

"Why...why would he be jealous?" she cried, her voice cracking. Her eyes were huge and terrified and confused. Yuki knew that look. It was the look of a cornered deer; when Machi knew she was in over her head and no longer had any idea what she was doing, where her emotions, held too long in check, exploded into action and her body did something she wasn't aware of it doing until after—like throwing things, like going berserk. She couldn't help it. It was what she did when she panicked. And the look on her face...it made Yuki's heart wrench, so he had worked and worked to make sure she never had to look that way again.

"Why are you jealous?" Machi yelled wildly, staring at him with those eyes that made his heart ache. She took a step closer to him. "Why do you care? What does it matter to you? Who I kiss? Why do you care!" she shrieked, staring at him with those huge scared eyes.

_What was she asking him?_ Yuki wondered, bewildered. There were questions in her eyes, questions that were begging to be answered, questions that Machi was too scared to ask. _What were the questions?_

"What are you asking me?" Yuki half-shouted, just as scared as she was. He wanted to answer the questions, make the look go away, make her smile. _What were the questions?_ He didn't know. "I don't know what you're asking me!" He was wild and confused and scared and trying to keep a lid on that suffocating sensation that was fighting it's way up, fighting to be let loose.

Machi was crying now, sobbing and choking and trying to hold it in, and Yuki was vaguely aware that everyone was watching him, silently urging him on. _To do what? What do they want?_ It was terrifying, not knowing. He had to please them, had to make the look in Machi's eyes go away, had to get rid of this feeling, this nagging feeling that he was supposed to know what to say, that he should know what to say...

"What do you want to know?" he asked again, still baffled. It seemed like the right thing to do, but it only made Machi mad. She forced herself to stop crying and wiped the tears off her cheek. She glared at him. Yuki looked up at everyone else, surprised.

He was even more surprised to find that Kyo, Kakeru, and Haru were also glaring at him. Even Tohru, the nicest and most patient person Yuki had ever known, was looking a little exasperated.

He looked back at Machi just in time to see her raise her hand to slap him. He caught it just in time and she struggled for a second until she raised her other hand, but Yuki caught that one too. She clawed at him in vain as he stared at her in shock. Was she trying to _hurt_ him? Why? What had he done?

Machi stopped moving and Yuki let her go cautiously. Mistake.

She tackled him. They flew back and would have kept going had not the wall stopped them. His head cracked against the brick rather badly but he managed to prevent Machi from being hurt.

They sat there for a minute, Machi breathing hard into Yuki's shirtfront, her arms around his middle, straddling his waist. Yuki felt rather dazed and disoriented. He hoped the bump on his head wasn't serious.

He still hadn't recovered when Machi pulled back and glared at him some more.

"What?" he said thickly.

"You're an idiot," she replied clearly. That made Yuki rather angry.

"What do you mean by _that_?"

"What do you _think_ I meant by that?"

"I don't know what you meant, that's why I asked! It's what people do when they don't know the answers to questions they can't answer!" Distantly Yuki realized that that was probably the concussion talking, but by then he was too angry to care.

"That's what I've been trying to do this entire time!" Machi shrieked at him. "That's why you're an idiot!"

Yuki stared at her, feeling stupid. "I didn't understand what you were asking, is all," he replied meekly. She stared at him.

"Ask it again," ordered Yuki. "Maybe I can answer it now." Somehow he doubted it, seeing as how he was light-headed from his nasty collision with the wall, but Machi didn't need to know that.

Machi looked at him. She blushed a little and swallowed. "W-why would you be jealous?" she half-whispered, sounding slightly embarrassed to be asking it.

Yuki frowned. His head was still swimmy, but something was rising up to the surface again, something he wasn't sure he was ready to face.

He looked up suddenly to find that Haru, Tohru, Kakeru and even Kyo were leaning in to hear his answer. He scowled at them, then looked back at Machi. He opened his mouth to say one thing, but something totally different came out.

Somehow, "I don't know" became "I won't tell you."

Kakeru slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation, Kyo swore angrily, Tohru sighed, and Haru shook his head, disgusted.

Yuki shook his head stubbornly.

Suddenly Machi gripped him by the collar and pulled him forward. For a dizzying moment, they were close enough to kiss, but then she ruined it by smacking his head into the wall. Stars exploded in front of his eyes, but she wasn't done yet.

"YOU—ARE—SUCH—AN—IDIOT—!" As she said each word she thwacked Yuki's head into the wall.

"Machi—!" yelped Yuki. "STOP STOP STOP STOP!" he yelled, dizzy and half-blind from all the stars and little birds flying around his head.

"NOT—UNTIL—YOU—ANSWER—MY—QUESTION--!"

"WHAT QUESTION!"

"WHY ARE YOU JEALOUS!" she bellowed, giving his head one final crack.

"Because you should be kissing me, not Haru!" Yuki burst out, flustered and in pain, half-crazy with the questions he couldn't answer and the look in Machi's eyes that he couldn't get rid of.

He looked away from her, his face burning. He was angry and miserable and scared and his head hurt like hell and the mystery feeling had broken through and made a mess of everything.

He looked back at Machi and was surprised to see a smile on her face. All traces of rage and the cornered, sad, scared look were gone from her face. Behind her, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yuki looked from them back to Machi, nonplussed.

Machi only patted his head and said, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"What are you talking abo—" It dawned on him just what he had said, and the implications it carried. Suddenly everything was much clearer. It was as if a dark veil had been lifted from his thoughts, and he felt lighter than he had in ages. He looked at Machi and smiled. She smiled back.

Just then they both realized the position they were in: Machi was practically in his lap, her hands around his collar; his hands had somehow found their way to Machi's waist, probably in an attempt to prevent her from injuring him any further.

Despite all the general yelling and movement that had just taken place a few minutes ago, neither of them had been out of breath until that point.

Machi's face was coming closer and closer...they were so close now, just another mere centimeter more and their lips would...

Machi pulled away. Yuki stared at her, flabbergasted. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice cracking a little.

"Yeah! What's wrong? Why'd you stop?" called Kakeru from the other side of the courtyard.

Yuki winced. "Oh." There was the sound of a slap, and Machi and Yuki looked over, surprised, to see that Kyo had hit Kakeru on the back of the head and was scowling at him. Haru was looking exasperated, and Tohru was laughing a little to herself.

Yuki chuckled and Machi smiled. She slid off his lap and sat next to him, snuggled into the crook of his arm. She rested her head on his shoulder and he pouted.

"We still haven't kissed yet," Yuki pointed out. Machi laughed and kissed his ear.

"We will," she promised. "Just you wait."

_Fin_

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Author's Notes:** So yeah. As I was typing the story...this happened instead of what was supposed to happen, but it turned out to be pretty good so I kept it and decided to use it as an alt. ending. You, the readers, get to decide! Which is better: the original ending or the alternate ending? Vote and I'll post the results in my profile! (If enough people vote, that is...) 

Actually, I really don't care. Both endings make me happy, now that I think about it.

Th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

Audley St-st-stutters

PS I AM NOT MAKING FUN OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPEECH IMPEDIMENTS! God, you people are SO picky!


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